Jormungand – 07

The second multi-episode arc ends and well, it’s just more of the same goodness really. There’s just the right amount of comedy mixed in with the seriousness, some quality character development, and some subtle philosophical musings to top it all off.

First off, I didn’t anticipate seeing Scarecrow this episode, but darn did he make this episode fun. At this point, it seems like the answer to my question from last week is: “Yes, we’ll continue using him for comic relief.” And well, I wouldn’t mind it at all, especially if he keeps bringing in memorable characters like Schokolade… who just might want to rethink her method of surveillance. Seriously though, the bathroom scene with Koko was just priceless and we also get Lutz and his arse grazing scene, as well as Jonah revealing he has a bullet in his own arse too. Definitely one of the more amusing episodes of the season, but as usual, there’s more than adequate…

…seriousness to back everything up with. Valmet takes the lead for the second straight episode and unloads on Karen, giving us the action scenesJormungand has been noted for all season and some character development as well. For one, there’s Valmet’s development. We see clearly how much her past torments her, that much is obvious. But at the same time, we also see that she hasn’t entirely let that keep her from maturing in terms of skills and in terms of restraint, as she’s able to walk away from it all. Suffice to say, she still has her demons and loses to it from time to time, but she’s definitely fighting it and gradually getting over it as well. Still, I get this nasty feeling that her decision to leave Karen like that will potentially come back to haunt her later. Then there’s also Lehm, who’s responsible for bringing her back to her senses. I was half expecting Valmet to continue going bonkers, but the fact that Lehm took the initiative to come over and stop Valmet and the fact that Valmet actually stopped, demonstrates a lot about Lehm’s character. We’ve seen glimpses of his personality in the previous episodes, but his actions here really hammer in just how much he’s been through as a person, as few others can do and say what he does, as well as led the entire group.

Notably, there’s quite a few notable philosophical musings mixed in as well. Most of them are from Dr. Miami this time around and they highlight the view that “nothing good comes from involving yourself with weapons”. Notably, Jonah stated similar views earlier this season also. Combined with the other views of the other arms dealers and people we’ve been introduced so far and there’s really a lot of elements subtly inserted into Jormungand that can serve as quality topics for philosophical debates. There’s also the comment about how Dr. Miami’s robotics were meant to make kids happy, but ended up being utilized for weaponry instead, and this really just puts icing on the cake in showing how complex this series is. It also shows how when properly done, you can create an amazing series that allows you to choose whether or not you want to just focus on the action and developments, just the deeper philosophical views discussed, or on both. And heck, I haven’t even mentioned the concept of “weakness means death” that was mentioned this episode as well.

In any case, there were a few other interesting things this episode as well. For one, there were the quotes by Karen and Valmet: “Silence is golden.” and “Even the dead sing when blades dig into their flesh.” They’re pretty obvious notions and often used quotes, but they added quite the impact to an already crazy fight. There’s also the interesting fact that Dr. Miami seems to know Koko’s dream, but never actually mentions it. Continuing on from the other times where it’s been discussed but never actually mentioned and it’s definitely quite intriguing how the writer’s going to such lengths to conceal it. I reckon it’s probably too early to find out anyway and we’ll find out eventually, but he really knows how to build up the suspense for that reveal while not causing too much anger while doing so.

And so ends another great episode of Jormungand. I’ll catch you back next week, but until then, make sure you don’t get Koko drunk, don’t leave your expensive bulletproof car in Africa, and learn to properly take pictures if you want to spy on someone. Oh yes, perhaps the most important thing: Don’t hire random city guards to go up into the mountains and expect them to do well…

“Weakness means death. Might be cruel – but that’s combat.” Can you imagine Lehm ever doing what Velmet did in charging Karen’s position – or what Jonah did in charging Orchestra’s a few eps ago? Jonah at least has the excuse of being a child, but the way I see it, each member of Team Koko is very formidable in their own niche – and Velmet is a remarkable artist at close combat – but Lehm is the one who should truly be feared. He just kills – efficiently, without malice or mercy, never unnecessarily taking a life or sparing one. He’s the perfect soldier – and he’s chosen to dedicate himself to supporting Koko. What does that say about her – and about Jonah, whose instincts were sharp enough to tell him that this was the first question he should be asking after he joined the group?

So basically, he’s Kiritsugu without any of the emotional baggage weighing him down. Or maybe he’s just better able to hide it or put it aside?
Lehm must have his own skeletons in the closet, and given the nature of this series, I guess that it’s just a matter of time before they’re dug up. It’ll be interesting to see what happens then.

1) Getting the SOLE REMAINING STEALTH BLACKHAWK to fly an ungodly distance from America to South Africa, requiring a) massive network of aerial refuelings or b) transport by C-17, which then poses the question of where you’re going to unpack and setup;

or:

2) Bribe the pilots who will demo South Africa’s newest toy, at an arms expo in the same city, to swing over and pick them up?

Also, note that (2) allows the point of deniability: while it’s an open secret to those in the know that Scarecrow and Chocolade are CIA agents, bringing a stealth Blackhawk in would, when it is inevitably seen, raise many questions, and put a huge “AMERICANS WERE HERE!!!” sign. Which is NOT something the CIA wants.

Also, you’ve got your facts somewhat wrong; the Super Hind Mk V is a South African upgrade/rebuild of the existing Hind, which is something Koko mentions South Africans tend to do. Note the Oryx, which is essentially an upgraded Puma.

As for the M1911: many persons, and organisations, including a small little group called “Delta Force” and a smallish little army called the “United States Marine Corps”* consider the M1911 to be one of the best pistols created. The design is essentially the closest you can get to a perfectly balanced all-round pistol; the only improvements that have been made, post WW2, have been in the materials sciences and ammunition.

*Disclaimer: USMC can’t afford M1911s for everyone; at my last reading, MEU(SOC) and Force Recon were the only Devil Dogs getting 1911s.

And it’s painfully obvious that you don’t actually know what you are thinking, but are just repeating buzzwords and rule of cool. Evidently you have not had to deal with supply chains and the challenges of working within a limited budget.

I have nothing against 1911 I own a stainless steel custom govt and stock commander version. I am saying the pistol won’t support 6 inch pistol bayonet and fighting close quarter a 410 judge/governor rules with various bb, disc, buck and slug.

super hind made sense only after you indicated south african variant, as the episode location is in SA, one cauld imagine SA support in exfil.

Lehm’s my favorite character so far, though I still see Koko turning out to be more of a demon than an angel by the end of the series which would make him one in a similar vein due to his loyalty to her.

I’m really surprised by how much and yet how little really gets worked into these episodes. It’s the crazy attention to detail, especially in scenes like the restaurant, that drag scenes out and show us a lot more than we go in looking for. In a way, nothing really important happened in this episode, yet it was still a good watch because it told us more about the characters we’re dealing with here.

“but he really knows how to build up the suspense for that reveal while not causing too much anger while doing so.” i was like >:( … then wished the guy had kept his eyes on the food so it wouldnt interrupt dr.miami’s speech.

More and more, I’m convinced that Lehm was one of C Squadron’s snipers, as part of the Delta Force contribution to Task Force Ranger, meaning that he must have been a contemporary of Shugart and Gordon.

I find myself amused that Valmet never used… erm, Valmet? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_M76
Lehm seems the most dangerous of the wild bunch. Cool as ice, steady hand and sharp mind. Would give Balalaika run for her money if she wasn’t in command of entire ex-Spetsnaz company. She’s on Koko level, as the Mastermind.
I must admit I hate injections too. Jonah, I completely understand you.
Colt M-1911 is heavy, big recoil, low on ammo, old design, but it has one capability that makes other handguns out there blush: stopping power. And in all-or-nothing of close combat this counts a lot.
Ewok over and out!

teehee… I really like the Steyr AUG that Valmet so casually discarded http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_AUG, ever since that unforgettable bathroom assassination scene from La femme Nikita (the original french!)… plus it comes with a scope as standard making for an army of snipers – not on Lehm level of course but still cool…

Just a minor thing that itched me: the helicopter’s navigation lights on the wingtips are in the wrong, reverse position. Considering the designers of series like these are the most techno-fetishist guys in the world, deploying hyper-researched designs, how could they get wrong that the red light goes on the left wingtip (port) and the green light on the right one (starboard)? A mistake, or a purposeful indication that the moral values are completely upset for these characters..?